Aspirant Academy

Society, Management and Accounting

Social Media — Impact on Society

Family, Marriage, Elderly, Disabled in Modern Society; Cyber Crime, Social Media Impact

Paper I · Unit 3 Section 8 of 12 0 PYQs 29 min
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Social Media — Impact on Society

7.1 Scale of Social Media in India

India is the world's largest social media market by user count in several categories:

  • WhatsApp: 487 million users (2023) — largest globally.
  • YouTube: 467 million users (2023) — 2nd globally.
  • Facebook: 314 million users (2023) — 2nd globally.
  • Instagram: 229 million (2023).
  • Twitter/X: ~25 million active users.
  • Internet users overall: 701 million (2022, TRAI).

7.2 Positive Impacts of Social Media

  1. Democracy and citizen engagement: Jan Aushadhi Samiti, Ayushman Bharat, PM-KISAN — government uses WhatsApp to communicate with beneficiaries directly.
  2. Social movements: #MeToo India (2018) — empowered thousands of women to share sexual harassment experiences; triggered policy review. #FarmersProtest (2020–21) — farmers mobilised globally via social media.
  3. Education: YouTube, DIKSHA, Swayam MOOCs — democratised access to quality education.
  4. Health communication: During COVID-19, social media used to communicate mask wearing, vaccine information (also caused infodemic).
  5. Economic opportunity: 5 crore small businesses use WhatsApp Business; social commerce through Instagram/Facebook.
  6. Cultural expression: Dalit, Adivasi, LGBTQ+ communities find voice online beyond mainstream media gatekeeping.

7.3 Negative Impacts of Social Media

  1. Fake news and misinformation: Oxford Internet Institute 2019: India leads in political fake news. WhatsApp forwards caused at least 33 mob lynchings in 2018.
  2. Mental health crisis: NIMHANS survey (2019): 30% of Indian urban youth report social media addiction; rising anxiety, depression, body image issues. Comparison culture and FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out).
  3. Cyberbullying: UNICEF 2019: One in three Indian teens experienced cyberbullying online.
  4. Online radicalisation: ISIS used social media for recruitment; Rajasthan-based terror networks used encrypted apps.
  5. Privacy violation: Data harvesting by platforms; Cambridge Analytica used Facebook data to influence Indian elections (2019 allegations).
  6. Digital gender divide: Female internet usage in India = 33% vs. male 67% (OXFAM 2020); social media replicates offline gender inequality.
  7. Communal tensions: Rumours on social media triggered riots in Muzaffarnagar (2013), Bhagalpur, and other locations.

7.4 Regulation of Social Media in India

IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021:

  • Significant Social Media Intermediaries (>5 million users) must appoint:
    • Chief Compliance Officer (Indian resident)
    • Nodal Contact Person
    • Grievance Officer (must acknowledge within 24 hours, resolve within 15 days)
  • Traceability: Messaging platforms (WhatsApp) must reveal "first originator" of problematic messages on court/government order — WhatsApp challenged this in Delhi HC (pending).
  • Content takedown: 72-hour response for unlawful content; 24-hour response for CSAM.
  • Digital Media Ethics Code: OTT platforms (Netflix, Amazon Prime) must have 3-tier grievance mechanism.

Other relevant laws:

  • DPDP Act, 2023: Consent-based data collection; rights to correct/erase personal data.
  • IT Act, Sec 79: Safe harbour — intermediaries not liable for third-party content if they act as passive platforms.
  • Telecom Act, 2023: Replaced Indian Telegraph Act 1885; regulates digital communications.

Supreme Court on Social Media:

  • Anuradha Bhasin v. Union of India (2020): Internet shutdown must be reviewed by courts; right to internet = fundamental right component.
  • Facebook Inc. v. Delhi Legislative Assembly (2021): Parliamentary committees can summon social media officials for questioning.